Although it seems like flushing kitty litter down the toilet would be no problem, it can cause very big problems in the future.
For starters, typical kitty litter is made of clay. Clay added to water makes cement. While it will not happen right away, eventually your pipes will clog with homemade cement. If it isn’t clay litter, nearly all litter is created to absorb liquid. When the particles absorb the liquid, they expand—pipes don’t.
Of course, there is the option of using flushable kitty litter, which is said to be biodegradable. However, even this type of kitty litter has the possibility of clogging your pipes. The truth is septic systems just aren’t designed to handle kitty litter, no matter how gentle it may be.
Aside from the litter itself, what’s in the litter—the kitty clumps—aren’t so great for the environment. Toxoplasmosis, a parasite found in kitty clumps, is harmful to marine mammals. When it is flushed down the toilet, it enters the water system.
So, although it seems extremely convenient to flush kitty litter and its accompanying clumps down the toilet, don’t be tempted to actually do it. Instead, scoop the kitty litter into plastic bags or a usual trash bag, seal it, and throw it away with the rest of your household garbage.
If you’re looking for ways to be green, consider things that are safer for the environment such as recycling plastic and aluminum, or composting food scraps. Consider purchasing locally grown food and cleaning the house with eco-friendly cleaning products. But save the kitty litter for the trash.
(Flickr Photo By Shelli Akers)
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